M Y S T I C E T I
& F R I E N D S
Stuti Sareen, Founder
I create spaces for creative exploration and design innovative learning experiences for education. I pursue this through three complementary initiatives. The first is the Creative Learning and Expressions Program, which integrates art, storytelling, and performance to enhance children's learning. The second is Kauri, a centre for art and storytelling in Varanasi, where children can explore their creative potential and connect with artists from different backgrounds. Third, I run and curate Mysticeti, an online publishing platform for writers and artists to share their work. Before starting these initiatives, I worked on international development projects with the United Nations Office at Geneva, Development Alternatives, and Quicksand Design Studio. I also received a scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy at King’s College London. I live in Varanasi and Goa. Apart from work, I enjoy scuba diving, attempting analog sketching, and reading. I am keen to collaborate on projects that align with my interests in curatorial publishing and creative programming. You can connect with me at stutisareen1@gmail.com.
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// Collaborations & Features~
The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP Bengaluru)
MAP Bengaluru is one of India’s first major public museums of South Asian visual culture. MAP’s mission is to take art and culture to the heart of the community, making it accessible to diverse audiences, and to create a museum-going culture that encourages people to experience art and heritage in new ways. One of MAP’s core initiatives is education which looks to explore how art can be a catalyst for learning as well as thinking. Since 2016, even while the museum’s physical space was being built, MAP has been carrying out its mission by actively reaching out to the local community through a variety of programmes and projects.
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MAP Bengaluru conducted a series of workshops for children at Kauri, Centre for Art and Storytelling by Mysticeti.
Kenzen School
Kenzen School is an independent primary school in Varanasi that focuses on nurturing each child's unique potential. It works with a small group of learners, and fosters a culture that celebrates individual strengths and talents.
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Kenzen School collaborates with Kauri by Mysticeti to facilitate workshops for primary learners and co-host cultural events.
Rohini Kejriwal
Rohini Kejriwal is a writer, poet and a curator from Bangalore. She runs The Alipore Post, a newsletter that celebrates poetry, art and creative expression. Her workshops hope to create playful spaces for children to explore art and poetry, through simple practices that break from the traditional methods of writing poetry.
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Rohini conducted a workshop for children at Kauri, Centre for Art and Storytelling by Mysticeti.
Ita Mehrotra
Ita Mehrotra is the author of the highly acclaimed Shaheen Bagh: A Graphic Recollection (Yoda Press, 2021), which was a runner up for Illustrated Book of the Year at the Publishing Next Industry Awards, 2021, and has been nominated for the Laadli Media Awards, 2022. She also leads the community based arts programmes at Artreach across India.
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Ita conducted a workshop for children at Kauri, Centre for Art and Storytelling by Mysticeti.
Anushree Joshi
Anushree Joshi is an alumna of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She is a sketch note artist, illustrator and product designer. Her works have been featured by Science Gallery and Resilient Cities Network among others.
Mint Lounge
A feature on Kauri, Centre for Art & Storytelling by Mysticeti, and its role in fostering a culture of art spaces for children in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
Homegrown
A feature about the launch of Kauri, Centre for Art & Storytelling by Mysticeti.
The Hindu & Vogue
A feature about Mysticeti's immersive storytelling collection with Armatuer, a home decor and artist studio.
// Featured Artists ~
Rainbow village, Taiwan
Rainbow Village is a military dependents' village that was converted into street art in Nantun District, Taichung.
Peter Cat Recording Co.
Peter Cat Recording Co. is a band based in Goa, who create and record a variety of different music including Gypsy Jazz, Ballroom, Synth Pop, Psychedelic Rock and everything in between and beyond
Kevin Sudeith
Kevin Sudeith is a New York-based artist, and the creator of the largest online archive of such war rugs. His collection has been featured by Artsy, NPR and The Atlantic among others.
Kanishk Seth
​Kanishk Seth is a musician and filmmaker based on Mumbai.
Shantanu Pandit
Shantanu Pandit is a singer-songwriter based in Delhi. Since 2011, he has spent ten years honing his craft, either as a solo musician, a founding member of seminal Delhi four-piece Run it's the Kid, or the spaces in between.
Shubham Sankhyan
Shubham is a potter and one of the lead representatives of Andretta Pottery studio in Palampur's Andretta Art Village (Himachal Pradesh)
Tajdar Junaid
Tajdar Junaid is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer with roots in Calcutta. The song 'Daastan' from his critically acclaimed debut album What Colour Is Your Raindrop (2013) featured in Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf's film The President, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2014.
The F16s
The F16s have been prominent figures in the Indian independent music scene for over a decade. The four-piece band featuring Abhinav Krishnaswamy, Sashank Manohar, Joshua Fernandez and Harshan Radhakrishnan have developed their own unique brand of eccentric and danceable alt-pop.
Ditty
Ditty is an Indian independent artist and urban ecologist whose music is inspired by the natural world. She started by playing music on the streets to reclaim public spaces as a woman (#StreetsForUs). Her debut album, Poetry Ceylon released in June 2019 and was called the debut album of the year by India Today.
Shashwat Bulusu
Shashwat Bulusu is a singer-songwriter, producer and visual artist from the pocket city Baroda. Since 2011, he has been steadily releasing an often dizzying array of musical narratives in both Hindi and English.
Begum
Begum is an alternate dreamscape band. Initially formed as an exercise in allowing both lyrics and sonics to spill out with no second thoughts, the project has, over almost ten years, become more refined, but still based on that gut instinct.
Aakash Mehta
Aakash Mehta is a stand-up comedian, producer and singer-songwriter.
Devin Osorio
Devin Osorio is a first generation Dominican-American from Washington Heights, New York. They create paintings and textile works that are personally cathartic, allowing others to heal alongside them.
// Contributors ~
Dhyani Parekh
Dhyani lives in Mumbai and is a product designer studying at the National Institute of Design, Ahemdabad. She believes design research is best done around plants and breaks best taken with some tea. Dhyani currently works at the Quicksand Design Studio in Goa.
Tejal Sharan
Tejal has studied graphic design at the National institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She loves illustrating images from her mind (mostly flowers) and believes in the power of visual storytelling in everyday life.
A Humming Heart
A Humming Heart is an Indian music publication which talks about both film and non-film music, with a heavy focus on the independent music industry. Since their inception in 2017, they have covered a wide range of music from different parts of India and hope to expand their coverage without any biases or boundaries.
Ishani Kamat
Ishani is a textile designer who loves colour, desserts and everything in between. Ishani is most interested in materials, graphics and prints.
Armatuer Design Studio
Armatuer aims to honour the work of artisans while carrying forward cultural values that inspire their creativity. It works with handicraft communities and underrepresented cultures to create earth friendly inventive decor, candles and furniture.
Pagal Haina
Pagal Haina aims to spread joy through the simple act of sharing music. With roots firmly grounded in artist development, community building and fan engagement, Pagal Haina's strength lies in discovering, nurturing, and empowering artists with an eye on global reach.
He Says, She Says, They Say Podcast
He says, She says, They say podcast brings you interesting guests to discuss society, culture, and topics normally too taboo to air out. It will make you think, make you question, and most importantly (hopefully), make you laugh!
Azielia Anne
Azielia lives in Kuala Lumpur, and when she’s not at her day job, she keeps up on current affairs, attempts to explore cultural eateries, and thinks of where to travel next. She co-hosts the He says, She says, They say podcast.
Iqbal
Iqbal lives in Texas and is pursuing his dream of becoming a content creator. He keeps himself busy with posting videos online on cooking, by being an active keyboard warrior on Twitter, and of course by laughing at Malaysian politics. He co-hosts the He says, She says, They say podcast.
Srishti Sareen
Srishti is a student at the Culinary Institute of America. She loves the smell of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and fried potatoes.
Shankar Tripathi
Shankar is a student of art history. His writings have been featured by The Punch Magazine, Standpoint, Live Wire, and Art Fervour among others.
Ching Ching Yang
Ching is a medic and traveler who believes in building the Taiwanese identity. She teaches at National Taiwan University.
Ria Chauhan
Ria writes free verse and spends most of her time baking lemon. cakes. She studied International Relations at London School of Economics and currently works with UNICEF.
Neharika Gupta
Neharika mentors and works with creative people from different ages and runs two writing courses. Her debut Adulting was published by HarperCollins.
Amrita Brahmo
Amrita is a writer based in Kolkatta. Her words have been published by LiveWire, Chronicle and Asian Literary Journal Cha among others.
Maira Bose
Maira is a multidisciplinary designer and visual artist. She derives her inspiration from art movements, cultural practices, rock n’ roll and nature. She has studied Creative Facilitation and Contemporary Arts Practices, and worked with Nicobar Design Studio, Blue Tokai among others.
Vrinda Chopra
Vrinda is a social science researcher who just submitted her PhD thesis for examination. She loves yoga and drawing pictures of her engagement with the world, through a camera lens and the written word.
Mitra Visveswaran
Mitra is an artist from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She is training to be a psychologist. Her poem Fugitive City was the winning submission for Whistle with Mysticeti - our poetry competition for aspiring writers.
Shreya Shah
Shreya is a writer and educator based in Mumbai. Her words have been featured by Verve India and Vogue among others. You can check her recommendations from her book shelf at Tea Time Tales.
Ronald Tuhin D'Rozario
Ronald Tuhin D'Rozario lives in Calcutta. He writes stories, poems, and essays. You can read them at: https://linktr.ee/ronaldtuhindrozario
Tarang Mohnot
Tarang is a freelance writer and full-time traveler, currently living in the Himalayas. She finds solace in music, rain, existentialist thoughts, and oversharing with strangers.
Vinita Agrawal
Vinita is an award-winning poet, editor, translator and curator. She has authored four books of poetry, and is the joint recipient of the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2018 among other literary honors and awards.
Sujash Purna
Sujash was born in Bangladesh and currently lives in Springfield, Missouri. He is an assistant poetry editor to the Moon City Review and his first book of poems, Biriyani, came out from Ohio's Poet's Haven Author Series in 2018.
Sumyrah Khan
Sumyrah is an International Law student from Dublin who recently published her first poetry collection Let Alone Hope. She is an activist for Muslim women rights and writes for Harvard University's Led By Foundation that works for empowering Muslim women.
Amarabati Bhattacharyya
Amarabati is a journalist and writer. She is a Media Studies major and is currently pursuing her Masters in International Relations. In her free time, she loves re-reading Kafka's Metamorphosis, and writing poems in her diary.
Aditi Sundan
Aditi is a writer and aspiring researcher based in New Delhi. She regularly boasts about the views of the Pir Panjal mountain range from the roof of her house in Jammu.
Sristi Suman Ray
Sristi likes to learn a little bit about everything under the sun. She did her studies in English from Ambedkar University and currently works with Teach for India.
Vanshika Randev
Vanshika is a 22-year-old writer based in New Delhi. She currently works as a Junior Editor.
Anoushka Khan
Anoushka is an artist and freelance editor. She grew up in Pakistan and the Netherlands, and currently lives in the UK.
Mariyam Fatima
Mariyam is a writer, researcher and editor based in Delhi. She has worked with The Curator Mag and Penguin Random House among others. She is also the founder of The Yarn Cove, a home business that creates mufflers for humans and pets.
Vanshika Randev
Vanshika is a 22-year-old writer based in New Delhi. She currently works as a Junior Editor.
Preksha Sipani
Preksha is a visual designer based in Delhi.
Anayat Gill
Anayat spends most of her time writing her thesis about outmigration and watching animal videos.
Shombuddha Majumdar
Shombuddha writes a copy, for which he gets paid, and other things, for which he doesn't. He hopes to make a film someday.
Rubica Kler
Rubica likes to find her current self in books. She likes reading fiction exploring themes of identity, self, and ambition.
Jishnnu B
Jishnnu is a nature enthusiast. He creates illustrations (on paper and digital media) and visualisations (2D and 3D). He also creates immersive, multi-sensorial narratives using different media for storytelling.
Elizabeth Hasan
Elizabeth is a student of English literature at University of Calcutta. Her writings have been published by Delhi Poetry Slam and St. Stephen's College among others.
Shilpa Sivaraman
Shilpa studies History of Art at the University of Edinburgh, and spends most of her time journaling and sketching.
Ankita Rajasekharan
Ankita designs art and nature-based learning experiences for children and adults. She loves documenting her reflections through writing and illustrations, and her work has been published in various online and print platforms.
Aditee Deoree
Aditee is a film maker from a small village in Ner, Maharashtra, India. Growing up immersed in the everyday stories of her community—whether enjoying quiet sunsets, spending hours on the farm, or walking along the river—she developed a deep connection to her surroundings. This inspiration led Aditee to share these experiences with the world through short films, capturing the essence of her village and its rich narratives.
Swapnil
​Swapnil, (moonlights as Crookshanks), is an architect and writer currently based in Goa. Curiosity and cats are her guiding lights and her primary area of work is spatial justice.
Anindita Das
Anindita Das is an advertising Creative Director. She self-published her debut book, ‘What The Pandemic Learned From Me’ - a light-hearted Amazon best-seller, written as a modest pursuit to provide relief to the people struggling during lockdown. The book has reached over 100 countries through publications like Hindustan Times, Business Standard, Wallstreet Sentinel and British Columbia Times.
PAJA
PAJA is a Delhi-based artist whose creative expression spans across various mediums, including frame-by-frame animation, comics, and both digital and hand-drawn illustrations.
Mehuly Chakraborthy
Mehuly, originally from Kolkata and now studying Big Data Computing in Italy, balances her technical profession with a passion for art and literature. She escapes daily routines by scribbling anecdotes and enjoying conversations about music and poetry. Back home, she spends Sundays sharing stories and reciting Bengali verses to kids in North Kolkata slums.
Marina Lepcha
Marina Lepcha, from Kolkata, West Bengal, enjoys reading and binge-watching various series without a preference for a specific genre.
Ashwija
Ashwija is a marketing and sales executive living in Cologne, Germany. She finds pleasure in oddly stitched words that carry her back home and enjoys expressing herself through stories and poems.
Sayani
Sayani is a bibliophile, compulsive traveller and sustainability enthusiast. Her work has been featured on Muse India, Borderless Journal, Women's Web and won a contest at Story mirror. One of her recent pieces has been selected by The Selkie for an upcoming issue.
Vishnu Baiju
Vishnu is a fine arts graduate. He lives in Trivandrum and spends most of his time experimenting on various mediums to make art. He is currently in love with 2D animation.
Gowri N Kishore
Gowri is a communication strategist, writer and editor. Visit her website to learn more about her work: https://gowrink.com/
Ananya Surana
Ananya Surana is student of literature at Ashoka University.
Pratik Tushar
Pratik Tushar is a 23-year-old artist, musician, and architect based in Bangalore. He creates on-the-spot pen-and-ink sketches, emphasizing the energy of the subject over intricate details. He has created over 900 sketches, transforming his art into a personal documentation of time and life. As an independent musician, Pratik has released 6 originals featured by publications such as Rolling Stone India and Indian Express. He aims to champion analog art, urging people to appreciate it not only for its aesthetic appeal but also as a poignant reminder of the times we've traversed.
Shivani Tipari
Vishnu is a fine arts graduate. He lives in Trivandrum and spends most of his time experimenting on various mediums to make art. He is currently in love with 2D animation.
Rushalee Goswami
​Rushalee is a final year Master's student at Jamia Millia Islamia. She is passionate about storytelling through various forms.
Tarang Mohnot
Tarang is a freelance writer and full-time traveler, currently living in the Himalayas.
Sanjana Mukund
Sanjana is a marketing graduate based in Bangalore. She loves to read, travel and explore different forms of art.